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Snowdonia Aerospace is bidding for Llanbedr to be home of the UK Spaceport and as a centre for the testing and development of drone technology.

Owners of the campsite, one of Europe's biggest, say were told there would be a complete stop to access across the airfield, which could have forced the closure of Shell Island, which employs more than 100 staff.

Richard Workman, a company director at Shell Island

Now they have negotiated that they will have to call a mobile number issued by Snowdonia Aerospace to secure access during emergency situations.

But this is a temporary arrangement and relies on the availability of the contact, so that the services can be escorted over the airfield.

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Shell Island fears that they may renew their threat to completely withdraw access in the near future. They are also having to warn campers about the temporary arrangement and the potential that emergency services access is not guarenteed.

Richard Workman, director of Shell Island, said: "We do not believe that the course of action chosen by Snowdonia Aerospace LLP is fair or necessary but it is clear to us that it is associated with the company’s ambitions to develop the site as a Spaceport.

Llanbedr airfield, Gwynedd (Image: Snowdonia Enterprise Zone)

“We don’t believe anyone has a right to stop emergency services from reaching people in need and distress and we are urgently seeking to clarify the legality of their decision to block what has been an agreed emergency access route for many decades.

“Our beautiful coastal site has been a much-loved holiday destination for generations of visitors to North Wales, and it provides significant employment for many families in our local community. We are now all facing an uncertain future.

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“It’s unthinkable that any form of new development at the airfield could come at the expense of local jobs and long-established family businesses.

"It troubles us deeply that the recent Economic Impact Assessment for the proposed Spaceport development and access improvements at Llanbedr completely failed to take this into account.”

At 450 acres, Shell Island is one of the biggest campsites in Europe, supporting the employment of 87 seasonal employees and 21 full time staff.

Shell Island said Gwynedd Council and the emergency services say they are satisfied that the campsite can continue to receive visitors in the short term, but all visitors must be made aware of the current emergency services situation so that they can make their own decision about risk.

Shell Island, near Llanbedr, Harlech

Mr Workman added: “The well-being and safety of our valued employees and our many loyal visitors is our number one priority.

"We have first aid provision on site and are advising everyone who comes on to the campsite of the current situation so that they can assess the risks for themselves and decide whether to stay with us.

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“In the meantime, we will continue our dialogue with Snowdonia Aerospace LLP, and we will seek to clarify our position with the Welsh Government, who own the Llanbedr Airfield site and who we hope, as owners, will intervene in this matter in the best interests of all concerned.

“We don’t want to even contemplate closure so we very much hope we hope that we can find a constructive way forward.”

They have a petition to support the campaign which can be accessed here. It only launched at 10am this morning and by 2.30pm had around 2,500 signatures.

Snowdonia Aerospace LLP and the Welsh Government have been asked to comment.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "It is a matter for the Directors of Shell Island to enter into discussions with SAC directly to reach an amicable arrangement and we are pleased that a short term solution has been agreed.

"However, we encourage both parties to explore all options available as a longer term solution is necessary if the site is to maximise it’s potential."

A spokesman for Snowdonia Aerospace said: "Access to Shell Island for emergency vehicles across Llanbedr Airfield is still possible, as it always has been, at periods of one or two hours when the causeway road is impassable due to high tide.

"In the event of emergency access being required on these occasions the request simply has to be made to our duty staff member on a mobile telephone.

"The Directors of Shell Island have been invited to have talks with us about their emergency access problem but they have declined to do so."